HP: Goodnight, Sweet Slytherin
by Neleothesze
Summary: COMPLETE Hannah Abbot is kidnapped on the way to Astronomy by a rogue staircase and dropped on the fourth floor corridor where a light is shining from an abandoned classroom. Who could be using it at this time of night?


**Goodnight, Sweet Slytheri**n

-_ the tale of an everyday adventure_

Grabbing her bag, Hannah started towards the Astronomy Tower. It was just like Susan to keep her busy with inter-house gossip long enough for everyone in her Astronomy class to go on without her. As her feet followed the oft-taken path, Hannah let her mind wander.

Potter had been looking pretty tired lately, whatever troubles were plaguing him must be keeping him awake. Poor Potter, always the center of whatever calamity or horrible episode the Fates deemed to bestow on Hogwarts. It was as if, each year, Professor Trelawney's predictions of impending doom were magnified tenfold, gathered into a ball, and lobbed at Potter's head with the force of a runaway bludger.

Lost in thought, Hannah failed to pay attention to her steps and found that the tricky staircases had turned and she had wandered deep into the fourth floor corridor. With a sigh, she got ready to turn around when she spied a light coming from what should have been a disused classroom, its door slightly ajar.

'If Hogwarts is putting me in the path of danger', she thought, 'I will find a way to get pay it back as a ghost' Feet moving almost unwillingly forward, Hannah found herself at the door of the occupied classrom. Crouching to get her head closer to floor level, she peeped through the side of the open door. When she saw what the students inside were doing, she stifled a gasp.

Morag McDougal and Padma Patil were busily stirring a bubbling potion.

'Another twenty stirs clockwise and three for each counter-clockwise. The powder needs to disperse.' urged Morag in a whisper before turning, wand drawn, to face the door.

'You can come out now and we won't hex you' she said in a much louder tone 'The offer stands until I get edgy' she added, voice trembling slightly by the end of her brave announcement.

Making a quick decision to risk a mild hex for being herself rather than a vicious one for being an unknown threat, Hannah stepped from behind the door with an uncertain smile.

'Oh, it's just you' Morag sighed, relieved 'Evening, Hannah. Risking Filch's wrath for a snog in the broom closet, are you?' she quipped with a smirk 'Who was it? Ernie or that Gryff you've been watching, what's his name'

'Don't be silly!' Hannah quickly interrupted while fighting back a blush 'I was on my way to Astronomy when a stairwell kidnapped me and I ended up here. What are you two brewing?' she asked, taking a few steps forward and craning her neck to peer into the cauldron.

'Come and take a guess' said Padma, beckoning her closer 'Terry tells me you're not completely pants at Potions in spite of Professor Snape's teaching... quirks. It's almost time to add the next ingredient. If you guess correctly you get to help us finish the potion.'

Biting her lip, Hannah consider the offer. On the one hand, there was no way she could reach the Astronomy class in time and coming in late meant losing house points, on the other hand, her year-mates were brewing a possibly dangerous and definitely unauthorised potion in an abandoned classroom. It was up to her to ensure that no one got hurt. Steeling her resolve, she nodded.

'Alright, give me a few clues.'

'We've just finished a series of sixty clockwise and one-eighty counter-clockwise stirs after adding the powdered snake fangs' explained Morag 'And don't mind anyone who says the snake fangs should be crushed. The powder accelerates the reaction with the moondew which, as we all know, brings the potion to a stable boiling state a whole twenty-seconds sooner. We, of course, want that because'

'Because having it boil a bit longer gives the potion a much greater potency' interjected Hannah, who felt like she was onto something.

'Did you add shrivelfig extract?'

'Nope.' said Padma, adjusting the cauldron flame.

'Mint leaves?'

'No, but another type of leaf.' answered Morag with a nod 'You're on the right track.'

'Wormwood?'

'Yes. Three finely chopped leaves.'

Furrowing her brows she considered what she knew so far. After a few moments she stared, wide-eyed, at the cauldron.

'Tell me you're not brewing the Draught of Living Death' she whispered in a quivering voice.

'Right in one, Hannah.' said Padma with a smile.

'...But it's not taught until next year...'

'Practice makes perfect.'

'...We'll get in trouble it we get caught.'

'We should close the door then.'

'...It's a... very mean potion' said Hannah, voicing her greatest objection.

'Which is why we'll be using it on a very mean person.' rejoined Padma 'Add the powdered asphodel root and we'll tell you who. I'm sure you'll approve.'

Deciding that she had done her best trying to sway the two Ravenclaws, Hannah, dropped her satchell, took off her robes and went to help complete the potion. Twenty minutes later, the three girls sat down while the potion was left to cool.

'Pansy Parkinson' Morag offered off-handedly.

Hannah considered the answer. She'd had dealings with Parkinson before, most of them with the Slytherin coming out smelling of roses and Hannah and her friends coming out with their pride battered, ponytails hexxed, skin scuffed or robes dirtied. The girl was a shifty one, always ready with a nasty word, a mocking smile or a painful hex. After considering the punishment against the miriad offences, Hannah gave a nod of finality.

'She deserves it. Question is: how will you keep from getting caught if you slip it into her food?'

Padma and Morag exchanged a quick glance before breaking up into twin satisfied smiles.

'Parkinson is going home for the holidays in two days' time. They will eventually check why she didn't get off the train. I'm sure Professor Snape has some spare Wiggenweld Potion lying around.' Morag snickered. 'And if this doesn't teach her to apply some of the fabled Slytherin prudence to checking her food and drink, Sleeping Beauty will fall asleep again come the spring break.'


End file.
